Composable context menus

Abstract

Developer-composed context menus, e.g., composed by a developer in connection with use of a software development tool to create an application, are disclosed. In various embodiments, a definition of a context menu option and an associated action are received. Application code to implement the context menu at runtime, including by performing processing at runtime as defined in the definition to determine one or both of the context menu option and the associated action, is generated programmatically.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving via a software development tool interface a context menu option definition; and 
 generating, using one or more processors, based at least in part on the context menu option definition, an application code to implement a context menu at runtime and to create an invisible object that is associated with an application page during execution of the application page, wherein the invisible object is configured to consume an event during display of the application page, update a context menu related value responsive to the event, and provide, to the context menu, a current context menu related value with which a context menu option of the context menu is updated during display of the application page. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context menu is displayed in response to detection of a predetermined event during execution of the application page. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, at a time at which the context menu is displayed, the context menu option to display based on the current context menu related value. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the definition includes an expression. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the application code includes code to evaluate the expression at runtime. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the expression includes as an argument an application context data. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the expression includes as an argument an application user interface event payload data. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an action definition for a publishing action associated with the context menu option. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the application code includes code to determine at runtime a payload of an event to be published according to the publishing action. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application code includes code to create and associate with the application page at runtime an invisible context menu associated object, and wherein the invisible context menu associated object corresponds to the invisible object. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the invisible context menu associated object is configured to provide context menu related functionality. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the invisible context menu associated object provides at least a subset of the context menu related functionality even when the context menu is not displayed. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the invisible context menu associated object supports chaining of context menu related actions even after the context menu is no longer displayed. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invisible object can be used across multiple application pages. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an action definition that specifies processing to be performed at runtime to determine one or more of an action to perform responsive to selection of the context menu option, a manner in which to perform the action, and a target or other destination of the action. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying the application page; and 
 in the event that the application page is displayed, loading the invisible object. 
 
     
     
       17. A system, comprising:
 a data storage device; and 
 a processor coupled to the data storage device and configured to:
 receive via a software development tool interface and store in the data storage device a context menu option definition; and 
 generate, based at least in part on the context menu option definition, an application code to implement a context menu at runtime and to create an invisible object that is associated with an application page during execution of the application page, wherein the invisible object is configured to consume an event during display of the application page, update a context menu related value responsive to the event, and provide, to the context menu, a current context menu related value to update a context menu option of the context menu during display of the application page. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the context menu is configured to be displayed in response to detection of a predetermined event during execution of the application page. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the application code is configured to determine, at a time at which the context menu is displayed, the context menu option to display based on the current context menu related value. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the definition includes an expression. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the application code includes code to evaluate the expression at runtime. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the expression includes as an argument an application context data. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the expression includes as an argument an application user interface event payload data. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive an action definition for a publishing action associated with the context menu option. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 24 , wherein the application code includes code to create and associate with the application page at runtime with an invisible context menu associated object, and wherein the invisible context menu associated object corresponds to the invisible object. 
     
     
       26. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
 receiving via a software development tool interface a context menu option definition; and 
 generating, based at least in part on the context menu option definition, an application code to implement a context menu at runtime and to create an invisible object that is associated with an application page during execution of the application page, wherein the invisible object is configured to consume an event during display of the application page, update a context menu related value responsive to the event, and provide, to the context menu, a current context menu related value to update a context menu option of the context menu during display of the application page. 
 
     
     
       27. The computer program product of  claim 26 , wherein the definition includes an expression.